Does anybody else's little one wake up in the middle of the night and fart around for awhile and fall asleep? I usually don't hear Avery when she does this. She is still in a crib for safety reasons. Last night I just happened to be headed to the washroom and I heard her. Then at 4am I heard the screaming crying. I knew the sound, it meant that her blankie was not in her bed. So I go into her room put it back it, give her some tight squeezes and try to get out of her room without a freak out. Did not work.
So by 9:30 am this morning she was a wild child crazy little thing. I was trying to get her to sit in the hug chair with me and she head butted me. That was it. I said you are going to take a nap whether you want to or not. I put her in her crib and two minutes later she was OUT. Like 4 hour long nap OUT.
If we didn't start making noises I bet she would have slept longer if we let her. She woke up very smiley and happy. The rest of the day was pretty good. After a big lunch and lot's of milk she was calm enough to actually hang out with me on the couch.
Now the only issue is trying to get her to sleep now... I still hear her farting around in her crib and I'm ready for bed.
Now it's not the first time I've been head butted but normally with that I can get up and get out of the house and run but today I couldn't because my foot is currently in a boot in case I have a stress fracture. But whenever I get head butted I always say the line from Paul Blart: Mall Cop, "Nobody wins with a head but" it's very fitting for days like today.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Our week in review...
I'm sorry if I don't post daily here but I'm trying to find my balance between this and my running blog and life in general.
So let me kinda of give you a run down of Avery's days at school and the bad news we got this afternoon.
All of last weekend Avery was a very unhappy camper. Lot's of head hitting and inability to calm her. I did lot's of hugging and holding last weekend.
If I left the room she was screaming and hitting her head against the wall. Sigh. Long weekend.
We know this reaction is due to the changes she's going through the past few weeks. I do have to say she doesn't have a problem getting on the school bus or anything. I think what has helped her is watching her big sister get on the bus for the last 2 years. She knows she comes back so it's safe.
Her days at school this week kinda like this:
Upon arrival every day they put the weighted vest on her.
Table time - Tough transitioning to the table, traced name h.o.h. (hand over hand) sat at table for 15 minutes and played with fidget toys.
Circle - Tough time transitioning to circle and would not sit. Head hitting. Break w/water bucket and toys.
Group 1 - Tough time transitioning from water toys (duh she LOVES water) Head hitting. Sat at table about 10 minutes and played with beans and toys. Walked around the last few minutes.
Group 2 - Did table activity hand over hand for about 5 minutes. Water break with water bucket and toys.
Group 3 - Tough transition to table, sat and did shaving cream for about 10 minutes (she LOVES shaving cream) Walked around with butterfly toy rest of time.
Recess - Went out to park with class played on slide and walked around with leaves in hand. Tough transition inside. (One time this week she was so bad they had to have recess inside because of the head hitting)
Snack - Sat and ate snack at table with the class. Sat in cube chair. (ok so which one was more effective and why was she moved to the cube chair?) Walked around room with toys.
Story - Vest was put on before story time. Sat on carpet with class. Did not attend to book. Sat with beans and strung beads for 15 minutes.
Group work - Sat at table for 10 minutes and did something hand over hand (really couldn't read this part of the notes)
Music - Danced to music (she LOVES music) at carpet with other kids.
This was basically what the whole week looked like. It was frustrating but not surprising. At one point the speech therapist sent a note home about PECS communication boards. We had asked about an electronic communication device instead, pretty sure our insurance will pick up the cost and the district will cover the rest. Instead I got a note home saying that Avery has to show them that she knows how to point so at the earliest she won't get one til the fall. Awesome.
One day this week her little butt woke up early at 5 and I thought good luck with that at school today.
By the dinner time she was done for the day. After dinner she crawled up on my lap. She did the following really quickly after that....
She grabbed her blankie and her flamingo and fell right asleep on my leg. So adorable. Moment's like this make up for the head hitting and screaming when I leave the room. Well sometimes.
The weekend ended on a rather sour note though. After Avery's occupational therapy session her therapist told me that she was quitting. Fudge. I asked if she was going to another clinic. No she's moving out of state. BIGGER Fudge. So she wanted to transition Avery to the new OT next week. Sigh.
I felt like crying leaving there. Not because I like the therapist so much but because Avery LOVES her. She's basically her best friend. When we get to therapy Avery run's to the rooms to see her. She know's she's there for her and she get's to play and have fun. As therapists goes she was always professional, never missed appointments without notice and always respectful of what we thought as parents. And parent's you know how hard it is to find a therapist that your kid connects with right??
She was actually the first therapist I asked "do you think she's on the spectrum?" She told me yes. She didn't beat around the bush, she gave her honest opinion.
I am not sure how hard this will be for her but her departure also coincides with the end of the summer session of school. So should I go out and get a helmet for her now in anticipation of more head hitting? Because I am imagining a lot more of that.
So let me kinda of give you a run down of Avery's days at school and the bad news we got this afternoon.
All of last weekend Avery was a very unhappy camper. Lot's of head hitting and inability to calm her. I did lot's of hugging and holding last weekend.
If I left the room she was screaming and hitting her head against the wall. Sigh. Long weekend.
We know this reaction is due to the changes she's going through the past few weeks. I do have to say she doesn't have a problem getting on the school bus or anything. I think what has helped her is watching her big sister get on the bus for the last 2 years. She knows she comes back so it's safe.
Her days at school this week kinda like this:
Upon arrival every day they put the weighted vest on her.
Table time - Tough transitioning to the table, traced name h.o.h. (hand over hand) sat at table for 15 minutes and played with fidget toys.
Circle - Tough time transitioning to circle and would not sit. Head hitting. Break w/water bucket and toys.
Group 1 - Tough time transitioning from water toys (duh she LOVES water) Head hitting. Sat at table about 10 minutes and played with beans and toys. Walked around the last few minutes.
Group 2 - Did table activity hand over hand for about 5 minutes. Water break with water bucket and toys.
Group 3 - Tough transition to table, sat and did shaving cream for about 10 minutes (she LOVES shaving cream) Walked around with butterfly toy rest of time.
Recess - Went out to park with class played on slide and walked around with leaves in hand. Tough transition inside. (One time this week she was so bad they had to have recess inside because of the head hitting)
Snack - Sat and ate snack at table with the class. Sat in cube chair. (ok so which one was more effective and why was she moved to the cube chair?) Walked around room with toys.
Story - Vest was put on before story time. Sat on carpet with class. Did not attend to book. Sat with beans and strung beads for 15 minutes.
Group work - Sat at table for 10 minutes and did something hand over hand (really couldn't read this part of the notes)
Music - Danced to music (she LOVES music) at carpet with other kids.
This was basically what the whole week looked like. It was frustrating but not surprising. At one point the speech therapist sent a note home about PECS communication boards. We had asked about an electronic communication device instead, pretty sure our insurance will pick up the cost and the district will cover the rest. Instead I got a note home saying that Avery has to show them that she knows how to point so at the earliest she won't get one til the fall. Awesome.
One day this week her little butt woke up early at 5 and I thought good luck with that at school today.
By the dinner time she was done for the day. After dinner she crawled up on my lap. She did the following really quickly after that....
The weekend ended on a rather sour note though. After Avery's occupational therapy session her therapist told me that she was quitting. Fudge. I asked if she was going to another clinic. No she's moving out of state. BIGGER Fudge. So she wanted to transition Avery to the new OT next week. Sigh.
I felt like crying leaving there. Not because I like the therapist so much but because Avery LOVES her. She's basically her best friend. When we get to therapy Avery run's to the rooms to see her. She know's she's there for her and she get's to play and have fun. As therapists goes she was always professional, never missed appointments without notice and always respectful of what we thought as parents. And parent's you know how hard it is to find a therapist that your kid connects with right??
She was actually the first therapist I asked "do you think she's on the spectrum?" She told me yes. She didn't beat around the bush, she gave her honest opinion.
I am not sure how hard this will be for her but her departure also coincides with the end of the summer session of school. So should I go out and get a helmet for her now in anticipation of more head hitting? Because I am imagining a lot more of that.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Let Down!
The perfect words to hear on Father's Day!
We heard words from Avery on Sunday. Clear as day. Why? She was po'ed at her Dada for holding her while she wanted to get down and play with the pinwheel her Pee Paw bought her for Father's Day. I can hear the words trying to come out. I see her moving us, gesturing us to what she needs and what she wants.
Today she knew she was going to school. As we waited by the screen door for the bus she kept putting my hand at the handle to open the door. Awesome. She knows what is going on. She know's going on the bus is her way to getting to school. Maybe the two years of watching her sister get on the bus every day has helped her transition to the bus. I hope so because she's been really good about getting on the bus since her first day of school.
I've been getting daily reports from the OT at school and while they say it's getting better every day, on our end the reports look like she has 3.5 hours of crying fits, head hitting (out of frustration) and "exploring" her classroom. The whole crying fits, head hitting is what we've been getting since starting school every day after school and my entire weekend was like that. I can tell you it was such a joy to deal with a 3 year old who was hitting her head against the wall because I was in the kitchen making lunch. :( I almost put her bicycle helmet on her at one point because I couldn't be with her every waking moment of the day during the weekend and I was afraid she was going to hurt herself.
In a few weeks we'll be getting her tested for food allergies, sensitivities, deficiencies and hopefully starting her on a path to well being. There are a few things we think that clue us in to that she may have gut issues as part of her problems. After this weekend we are more than determined to find out what can cause a sweet little snuggle bug from holding onto her mama to hitting her head violently in a matter of seconds. There is a reason and we will find out. * Hopefully! *
We heard words from Avery on Sunday. Clear as day. Why? She was po'ed at her Dada for holding her while she wanted to get down and play with the pinwheel her Pee Paw bought her for Father's Day. I can hear the words trying to come out. I see her moving us, gesturing us to what she needs and what she wants.
Today she knew she was going to school. As we waited by the screen door for the bus she kept putting my hand at the handle to open the door. Awesome. She knows what is going on. She know's going on the bus is her way to getting to school. Maybe the two years of watching her sister get on the bus every day has helped her transition to the bus. I hope so because she's been really good about getting on the bus since her first day of school.
I've been getting daily reports from the OT at school and while they say it's getting better every day, on our end the reports look like she has 3.5 hours of crying fits, head hitting (out of frustration) and "exploring" her classroom. The whole crying fits, head hitting is what we've been getting since starting school every day after school and my entire weekend was like that. I can tell you it was such a joy to deal with a 3 year old who was hitting her head against the wall because I was in the kitchen making lunch. :( I almost put her bicycle helmet on her at one point because I couldn't be with her every waking moment of the day during the weekend and I was afraid she was going to hurt herself.
In a few weeks we'll be getting her tested for food allergies, sensitivities, deficiencies and hopefully starting her on a path to well being. There are a few things we think that clue us in to that she may have gut issues as part of her problems. After this weekend we are more than determined to find out what can cause a sweet little snuggle bug from holding onto her mama to hitting her head violently in a matter of seconds. There is a reason and we will find out. * Hopefully! *
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Good and The Bad
The Good
Since Avery has been done with her speech therapist from Early Intervention she's been a vocal little girl.
Now she's not talking up a storm but she's using her sounds.
She's trying to imitate the sounds of songs in movies. She loves music and dancing. So guess what we watch a lot of? Tangled, The Princess and the Frog and new to the rotation Gnomeo and Juliet. Swear it's better than that Leonardo Dicrapio one.
I've gotten her to say "hiiiiii" when I walk into her room in the am when I say it.
I've gotten her to say "Bye Bye" when getting out from the table when I say it to her.
She transitioned well to the new OT center. Which is a glorious now 5 minute drive from my house.
I got the school district to agree to giving us copies of a service log weekly of what they are working on with Avery. They were more than willing.
At her birthday party with her Grandpa she did great with the cake. She laughed and smiled when we sang "Happy Birthday" and her face lit up when the candles where lit. Awesome she loves fire. LOL.
Her Grandpa bought her a tricycle for her birthday and I got her a helmet at the store the other day. She wore the helmet through out Walmart and had a colossal meltdown when I pried it off her that day.
The Bad
In the last few months she's developed this really neat habit of sucking up her milk, swirling around her mouth and if you don't catch her she'll spit it out.
At first it was a little bit. Each time we caught her we would take the milk away.
She's on Almond Milk and that stuff is like liquid gold it's so costly. So she stopped for awhile.
Then she started up again this time being sneaky about it. She would hide in her room and do it.
So we know keep her at the kitchen table while she drinks the milk. It's helped but you can tell she's not happy.
She was so use to walking around with the sippy "her crutch" that she now pushes herself away from the table to get some space.
Another joyful thing she is doing is similar to the milk deal and that's just spitting. She spits anywhere.
Her hand, the table, the floor, the cart at Target. blech sorry but use those wipes!
I brought this up to her OT and I really can't remember what she said we should do but of course when I picked her up from therapy the OT said she never did it for her. little stinker. Have I said how much she LOVES her OT? Loves her more than me I bet.
We had a birthday party we were invited to that I decided to just go with my oldest daughter.
It was last year at this little girls birthday party (she's two weeks younger than Avery) that the differences were very noticeable. At this party Avery spent her time tossing the cans out of the bucket of ice water OR digging under the stairs for potted plants. Seriously. The rest of the kids running around like lunatics playing with all the games, toys, little bikes and my kid fixated on the cans.
I remember driving home from that party and just realizing we were dealing with much more than a speech delay and being upset about it. It was just another party that we couldn't walk out of without a meltdown from someone. It just sucked.
This year it was still hard to see a little girl who is adorable as all hell, potty trained and a talkative little one knowing she's two weeks younger than your little girl. Last year it made me upset, this year eh I was just wistful. We know why now. Last year we were sitting on the edge of the diagnose. Just waiting for the official stamp of Autism.
I of course was by myself last year like I would be this year. My husband you see works a second job on the weekends. Some time's he's busy sometimes he's not so this weekend he sacrificed some sleep to hang out with Avery. I was almost to the party when he texted me asking where Avery's weighted vest was. Oops. It was in the bag in my truck since she had it at therapy on Friday. My bad. Apparently she was having a hard day. Lot's of redirecting from Daddy and she was not happy Mommy was not home. So my husband figured out to use the weighted blanket my friend made her:
Then things got better but as soon as I got home I heard it from her. She squawked until I got her a snack and we sat down to watch Gnomeo and Juliet. Life was good for her when Momma got home.
If you are asking me why didn't we all just go to the party well there's a few dynamics that work into this decision for me to just bring the oldest. My oldest is a Daddy's girl. If we were all to go together somewhere she would be glued to her father and not play with the other kids. I still would have to contend with Avery and she would be into everything. For me to just go with my oldest it's something just for me and her and Daddy get's to spend time with little sister. Tag teaming parties like this is working for now and while I HATE that Avery is missing out on things right now. I know it's not fair to bring her somewhere where she gets into sensory overload and we can't calm her down.
It's our life with Autism and that's how we are dealing with it this week. In a little over a week she steps onto a yellow bus for her first day of school and that my dear friends in Autism land will be a wild week.
Since Avery has been done with her speech therapist from Early Intervention she's been a vocal little girl.
Now she's not talking up a storm but she's using her sounds.
She's trying to imitate the sounds of songs in movies. She loves music and dancing. So guess what we watch a lot of? Tangled, The Princess and the Frog and new to the rotation Gnomeo and Juliet. Swear it's better than that Leonardo Dicrapio one.
I've gotten her to say "hiiiiii" when I walk into her room in the am when I say it.
I've gotten her to say "Bye Bye" when getting out from the table when I say it to her.
She transitioned well to the new OT center. Which is a glorious now 5 minute drive from my house.
I got the school district to agree to giving us copies of a service log weekly of what they are working on with Avery. They were more than willing.
At her birthday party with her Grandpa she did great with the cake. She laughed and smiled when we sang "Happy Birthday" and her face lit up when the candles where lit. Awesome she loves fire. LOL.
Her Grandpa bought her a tricycle for her birthday and I got her a helmet at the store the other day. She wore the helmet through out Walmart and had a colossal meltdown when I pried it off her that day.
Testing out the new wheels today. She just sat and played with the ribbons.
Then well the helmet stayed on for awhile. I think she likes that more than the bike.
The Bad
In the last few months she's developed this really neat habit of sucking up her milk, swirling around her mouth and if you don't catch her she'll spit it out.
At first it was a little bit. Each time we caught her we would take the milk away.
She's on Almond Milk and that stuff is like liquid gold it's so costly. So she stopped for awhile.
Then she started up again this time being sneaky about it. She would hide in her room and do it.
So we know keep her at the kitchen table while she drinks the milk. It's helped but you can tell she's not happy.
She was so use to walking around with the sippy "her crutch" that she now pushes herself away from the table to get some space.
Another joyful thing she is doing is similar to the milk deal and that's just spitting. She spits anywhere.
Her hand, the table, the floor, the cart at Target. blech sorry but use those wipes!
I brought this up to her OT and I really can't remember what she said we should do but of course when I picked her up from therapy the OT said she never did it for her. little stinker. Have I said how much she LOVES her OT? Loves her more than me I bet.
We had a birthday party we were invited to that I decided to just go with my oldest daughter.
It was last year at this little girls birthday party (she's two weeks younger than Avery) that the differences were very noticeable. At this party Avery spent her time tossing the cans out of the bucket of ice water OR digging under the stairs for potted plants. Seriously. The rest of the kids running around like lunatics playing with all the games, toys, little bikes and my kid fixated on the cans.
I remember driving home from that party and just realizing we were dealing with much more than a speech delay and being upset about it. It was just another party that we couldn't walk out of without a meltdown from someone. It just sucked.
This year it was still hard to see a little girl who is adorable as all hell, potty trained and a talkative little one knowing she's two weeks younger than your little girl. Last year it made me upset, this year eh I was just wistful. We know why now. Last year we were sitting on the edge of the diagnose. Just waiting for the official stamp of Autism.
I of course was by myself last year like I would be this year. My husband you see works a second job on the weekends. Some time's he's busy sometimes he's not so this weekend he sacrificed some sleep to hang out with Avery. I was almost to the party when he texted me asking where Avery's weighted vest was. Oops. It was in the bag in my truck since she had it at therapy on Friday. My bad. Apparently she was having a hard day. Lot's of redirecting from Daddy and she was not happy Mommy was not home. So my husband figured out to use the weighted blanket my friend made her:
If you are asking me why didn't we all just go to the party well there's a few dynamics that work into this decision for me to just bring the oldest. My oldest is a Daddy's girl. If we were all to go together somewhere she would be glued to her father and not play with the other kids. I still would have to contend with Avery and she would be into everything. For me to just go with my oldest it's something just for me and her and Daddy get's to spend time with little sister. Tag teaming parties like this is working for now and while I HATE that Avery is missing out on things right now. I know it's not fair to bring her somewhere where she gets into sensory overload and we can't calm her down.
It's our life with Autism and that's how we are dealing with it this week. In a little over a week she steps onto a yellow bus for her first day of school and that my dear friends in Autism land will be a wild week.
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